This horrific tale begins in 1983, when shortly after coming across a magical ancient artifact, Navy pilot Hank Campbell loses his mind and murders all his fellow pilots. Right before getting locked up, he hides the powerful object somehwere in the plane. BLOOD RELIC tells the harrowing story of what happens more than two decades later, as preparation of the aircraft for an air and space museum exhibit coincides with Hank's release from a mental institution. With the knowledge of where the talisman is hidden, Hank sets out to wreak voodoo havoc on the people who put him away Blood Relic is written by Matthew M. Howe and J. Christian Ingvordsen who also is the director. The acting is pretty decent, Billy Drago is good but in my opinion he should have had much more screen time as he is without a doubt the strongest actor of the bunch. The camerawork and editing is good. There is some pretty nice use of military stock footage, it is used to good effect and edited in in such a way that it blends pretty good with the rest of the flick. The pacing is good. There´s isn´t much suspense or thrills in this as we are in very familiar territory. The soundtrack is good. There´s gore, slit throat, knife imbedded in head and so on but Blood Relic isn´t as gory as I hoped for, let´s face it this could have been a very gory slasher. Quite a few scenes aren´t graphic at all, it is kept off screen. There´s gratuitous T and A in this, courtesy of Caitlin Sabins, Kelly Ray, Melanie Rademaker and Debbie Rochon
Blood Relic is also known as Scare Museum.
This review is based upon the region all (region 0) DVD release from Mti Home Video. Beware that the UK DVD release is cut.
Rating: 2 out of 7. There´s no real surprises in Blood Relic, if you know the slasher genre you can more or less predict everything that´ll happen on the screen. There are a few good moments and we do get Billy Drago who is great but that isn´t enough to make Blood Relic better than the mediocre slasher that it is.
/JL
It´s that time of the year to present my top ten of the films that I had the pleasure to watch during 2013, I have seen many good feature film and shorts so it has been pretty hard but here are ten films that made a huge impression on me
7th Day (2013)
A pervert, murderer, and hopeless romantic, Allen Dean (Mark Sanders) is on a seven day journey to discovery his real true love. He is torn between Denise the waitress he believes he loves and his first true love, murder. Director Jason Koch adds a surreal tone to this violent tale seen through the eyes of a serial killer. We delve into Allen's life and thoughts as he prepares for what he believes to be his destiny, impending fame. 7th Day is written by Mark leake and is directed by Jason Koch.
Rating: 7 out of 7. 7th Day is an amazing flick! I love the fact that the main character isn´t the typical serial killer mastermind in the style of Hollywood. He´s a average joe who could very well be your next door neighboor or co-worker. The blurb on the poster isn´t missleading, this is on par with classics such as Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer and Scrapbook. This is not for the squemish. 7th Day gets my highest recommendations, it is a MUST buy!!
Coyote (2013)
An insomniac writer's (Bill Oberst Jr.) sleep-deprived hallucinations distort reality as paranoia drives him to extreme violence. Coyote is written and directed by Trevor Juenger. Rating: 7 out of 7. I loved Coyote! It´s an amazing flick, it´s well made, well played and a truly horrific ride into ever greater insanity. Bill Oberst Jr. confirms again how talented he is and I want to see more of Trevor Juenger´s work. Coyote gets my highest recommendations! Make sure to check it out!
Saturday Morning Massacre (2012)
A team of amateur paranormal investigators struggles to make ends meet by debunking reports of supernatural incidents. With the group on the verge of bankruptcy, they take on a case involving rumors of suspicious disappearances and violent deaths linked with the abandoned Kyser schoolhouse. Discounting stories of satanic practices, the team proceeds, desperately chasing cash and the opportunity to... fulfill their lives’ mission – to catch a real ghost. On a tour guided by the local sheriff, the crew learns of the schoolhouse’s gruesome past, and despite the sheriff’s advice to spend the night in a hotel, they decide to stay. They set up their gear and prepare for nightfall, and when the sun goes down, the truth comes out: the Kyser house might actually be haunted by sadistic spirits – or something even worse. Saturday Morning Massacre is written by Jory Balsimo, Kat Candler, Aaron Leggett, Jonny Mars and Jason Wehling. It is directed by Spencer Parsons.
Rating: 7 out 7. Saturday Morning Massacre was amazing. It is well made, scary and gory. I´m sure, as early as the 16th of january of 2013 when I´m writing this review, that Saturday Morning Massacre will be on my top ten of the best flicks I`ve seen during 2013. Fantastically good stuff here!! Be sure to check it out!!
Wither (2012)
Ida (Lisa Henni) and Albin (Patrick Almkvist) are a happy couple. They set off to a cabin in the vast Swedish woodlands to have a fun holiday with their friends. But under the floorboards waits an evil from Sweden's dark past. Wither is written by David Liljeblad, Tommy Wiklund and Sonny Laguna who also are the directors.
Rating: 7 out of 7. I enjoyed this tremendously, Wither is a great creepy ride that delivers the chills and thrills that we fans of horror movies want. According to the filmmakers they had a budget of approx 46 000 USD (according to current currency) and every dollar is on screen, it is quite incredible how good Wither looks. On a final note, I´m so pleased to finally see a good swedish horror flick. It makes me proud.
Hazmat (2013)
The television crew of the "Scary Antics" hidden camera show habitually sets up innocent chumps for scary practical jokes on national television. For a special behind-the-scenes episode, a group of friends wants to set up Jacob (Norbert Velez), a disturbed young man who is having problems adjusting after his father's death at a chemical factory. Jacob is convinced that the factory is haunted, and now Scary Antics is going to proof him right. Friends and crew are having a good laugh at Jacob's expense when something goes horribly wrong. The tables are turned and now they're the ones that are running for their lives. Trapped inside the boarded-up building with an ax- wielding maniac, this is definitely no laughing matter. HazMat is produced, written and directed by Lou Simon. Rating: 7 out of 7. Once in awhile a flick pops up out of the blue and knocks you off your feet, I didn´t know much about HazMat and it blew me away. It is one of the best slashers I´ve seen in a long time, well made, entertaining and highly enjoyable. HazMat is now on my "must buy when it get its release on DVD" list and it should be on yours also. This is a must for fans of the slasher genre but it is also worthwhile to check out even if you are just a fan of the horror genre generally. HazMAt gets my highest recommendations!!
Found (2012)
Marty (Gavin Brown) is the ideal fifth grader. He gets good grades, listens to his teachers, and doesn't start trouble in class. But a darkness is beginning to fall over Marty's life. The kids at school won't stop picking on him, his parents just don't seem to understand him, and now Marty must grapple with a terrible secret that threatens to destroy life as he knows it -- his big brother is a serial killer! Brotherly love is put to the ultimate test in this emotional coming-of-age story that descends into full-blown horror. Found is written by Todd Rigney and Scott Schirmer who also is the director.
Rating: 7 out of 7. Found is a fantastic flick and it will, without a doubt, be one of the best flicks I´ll watch this year. It´s a very well made, very well acted coming of age flick in the horror genre. It´s Scott Schirmer feature film debut and what a debut it is! This is one director that I´ll be keeping an eye out for in the future. Even if I´m a seasoned fan of the horror/exploitation genre I do find the ending of Found truly haunting and it will probably stay with me for some time. Found gets my highest recommendations, now make sure to catch it when it is showing near you. This is a must watch!!
Deadly Presence (2013)
Andie, Candace and Julie were looking for a night of fun when they decided to stay at the Stanton house, a house rumored to be haunted. Several months later Andie receives a phone call from Candace inviting her over to catch up. When Andie arrives at her apartment, she can't help but notice Candace's strange behavior and decides to stay the night. The following morning Andie wakes up to find a journal and video from Candace and soon after, discovers her dead in the bathtub. After viewing the video, Andie stays another night at the apartment upon Candace's request. Unsure of what to do, Andie tries seeking answers in the journal that Candace left behind. Andie realizes that Candace’s strange behavior started just days following their stay at the Stanton house. Is the house really haunted? Andie soon finds out for herself... Deadly Presence is written by Megan Lynn, David Fite and Shane Cole who also is the director. Rating: 7 out of 7. Deadly Presence is a great ghost story, it´s well made, offering effective scares, nice visuals and it´s genuinely creepy at times. Highly recommended!!
The Millennium Bug (2012)
When the Haskin family seeks refuge from Y2K hysteria in the isolated forests of the Sierra Diablos mountains, madness and terror find them there. Abducted by a vicious hillbilly clan, the Haskins fight for survival, but neither they nor the hillbilly Crawfords can comprehend the monstrous nightmare about to erupt from the bowels of the earth. The Millennium Bug is written and directed by Kenneth Cran. Rating: 7 out of 7. Fantastic!! The Millennium Bug is incredible, an unbelievable achivement by filmmakers working on a small scale budget. This looks fantastic! This just blew me away, the combination of backwoods survival and creature feature is a big winner (I love both genres). I totally convinced that The Millennium Bug will be on my Top Ten of the best movies I´ve seen during 2013 when the time comes to compile that list. This gets my highest recommendations, it´s a must see!
Demon Resurrection (Video 2008)
Something's wrong with Grace (Alexis Golightly) and her friends are worried. Ever since she moved in with her new boyfriend, she's been behaving strangely and looks ill. Is she on drugs? Fearing the worst, the friends decide to stage an intervention at the couple's isolated house. But when they arrive they realize they've made a potentially lethal mistake... Grace isn't on drugs but she is in terrible danger. Her condition is the result of something horrible that was done to her during the brief time she was a member of an obscure cult headed by a mysterious man named Toth. The friends learn that Grace's boyfriend rescued her from the cult but that Toth is intent on getting her back and has picked that very night to lay siege to the house, using all the supernatural powers at his disposal. Why does he want her so badly? The friend's must struggle to find the answer while the evil cult leader summons up the very forces of hell against them! Demon Resurrection is written and directed by William Hopkins. Rating: 7 out of 7. I enjoyed this a lot, it makes the most of its low budget and succeeds being a well made and entertaining horror flick. It´s a nice blend of zombies and occult horror. Highly recommended so make sure to check this one out!
Zombie Warz: Falls the Shadow (2011)
Three years after the War, the United States is destroyed. Civilization has devolved into anarchy and tribalism. A soldier, Michael (David Eby), finally comes home, only to find his wife murdered and his daughter kidnapped. Accompanied by a disparate group of survivors, he leads the hunt to find his kidnapped daughter and kill the Reverend (Sam Dalton) whose neo-Confederate tribe was responsible. Zombie Warz: Falls the Shadow is written, directed and edited by Steven Berryessa. Rating: 7 out of 7. I enjoyed this a lot! The DVD cover and title is a bit missleading as this ain´t just another of all those low budget zombie flicks. I love the bleak and grim post apocalytic setting! In my opinion Zombie Warz: Falls the Shadow is well-paced and gets better and better. This is ambitious and impressive effort from Steven Berryessa. Highly recommended so make sure to check it out!
/JL
When three beautiful young women set out for a relaxing weekend retreat in the woods, they unwittingly stumble upon a sadistic band of backwoods yokels. Taken prisoner by the insane matriarch and her demented sons, the women are forced to fight back using anything they can get their hands on. Heads roll, blood spurts, and genitals are mutilated as the women use myriad objects to do battle with Mother’s loving sons. Mother's Day is written by Warren Leight and Charles Kaufman who also is the director. The acting is pretty decent, some of it is straight, some of it is over the top and (I think) intentionally toungue in cheek, The camerawork and editing is good. The soundtrack is pretty good. The pacing is good, perhaps I´m a bit jaded but the silly black comedic moments kind of dampens the impact for me, sure some scenes are intense, some of them are not for the squemish, but (for example) the idiotic boot camp sequence just puts a dent in the horrific flick this could have been. It´s gory, violent and pretty brutal at times. There´s brief topless nudity in this, actually I think there is more male ass on display than female skin.
This review is based upon the region 1 DVD release from Anchor Bay Entertainment.
Rating: 4 out of 7. I can imagine this sparkling some controversy when it was first released in the 1980s due to some of the scenes. It´s a good flick but I can´t help wonder how Mother's Day would have been if they discarded the comedic bits (some of which are very silly) and just played it straight but then it might have aliented some of its audience, the Troma-fanbase seem to prefer the jokey flicks.
/JL
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